Early Historian Made Cookies and Dressed Dolls

Eloise Lane

Beryl Wynne Vicars, early Pampa historian, was well known for her butter cookies which were enjoyed by many, including Madge Tiemann (Mrs. John B. Zuerker) and Betty Jean Tiemann (Mrs. Edmund H. Lutz). Madge (now deceased) and Betty Jean are the daughters of A, A. and Hallie (Case) Tiemann. Beryl's recipe for "Dutch Cookies" is on page 199 of the Gray County Heri tage Cookbook, published in 1982. MadgeZuerker wrote the following paragraph to accompany the recipe. "There's no way to know how many plates of these yummy cookies Beryl took to friends, the sick, the lonely. Among my fondest memories are the visits we made to the Vicars and Wynne homes. I loved to rock in the big old-fashioned rockers while my mother and others did beautiful fancy work. Mrs. Vicars did cut work embroidery, made doll clothes, and knitted socks and mittens. Although Ed and Betty Lutz live in Euclid, Ohio, they own the Tiemann house at 311 N. Wynne and stay there when they visit Pampa. While they were in Pampa for nearly five months during the winter of 2002-03, Betty told of a memorable visit to the Wynne home at 317 N. Frost and the Vicars house at 303 N. Frost. She wrote the following account of the occasion for. the White Deer Land Museum. "At certain times of the month, Hallie Tiemann (my mother), Ouida Thomas and an occasional other guest joined Beryl Vicars, daughter of J. S. and Minna Wynne at Auntie Wynne's home at 317 N. Frost. They had wonderful discussions as they did fine handwork in embroidery and crochet to make beautiful pieces of linen. "I was going to Woodrow Wilson Elementary School, 801 East Browning Avenue, in the year ca 1928, Most likely I was in the fifth or sixth grade. One day I could hardly wait for the final bell to ring, f or then I began my walk across town on Browning Avenue to Auntie Wynne's house. I knew that immediately after my arrival, I would be given milk and real butter cookies -- the best I ever tasted. They were shaped from a cookie press (a not too common utensil at that time. "This special afternoon as the ladies finished their tea party, Mrs. Vicars asked Mother and me to walk to her nearby home so we could see the dolls she had dressed for children who might not have a visit from Santa. Upon entering the living room, I could see in the guest bedroom to the left a bed covered with many beautiful dolls. Standing beside the bed, I looked in awe at dolls of all sizes -- baby dolls large and small, pretty girl dolls with different colors of hair -- AND YES -- NO BARBIES - all with complete wardrobes for whatever period of age they represented. I just couldn't believe what I saw. "As she invited me to touch or hold them, she said she had been sewing all year to meet her Christmas deadline, Then she asked, ‘Betty Jean, which one of these dolls do you like the best?' I went from doll to doll trying to make this serious decision for her when each doll was a treasure in itself, but it didn't take me long to pick up the smallest porcelain doll on the bed with her special hand made clothes and blanket. Then I heard Mrs., Vicars say, `Betty Jean, that doll is for you.' I hope my joy and thanks gave her the happiness her gift gave me." Betty Lutz has cherished the doll for more than seventy years. Her husband, Ed Lutz, photographed the doll to accompany this article. During World War II, Ed, who Graduated as a pilot at Pampa Army Air Field with class 43-I, was a Public Relations Photographer with the US Air Force, MacDill Field, Tampa, Florida. After the war, he was on the staff of the Cleveland Museum of Art for thirty years.